He's Back
by bookaholic24
Summary: My OC Maria comes along with a warning for the gang and proceeds to shake everything up. The Gang goes to new York and meets some interesting people Mitch/ Annie George/Annie Graves/ Dru OC/ Shanks for now not a good sumary but good story R&R please
1. Chapter 1

Ok this is my first being human fan fiction but I have to write this cause it keeps bugging me. So if you hate oh well but NO FLAMES please. If you like it please review or give suggestions so thanks hope you like. Also I've got like 5 chapters already written because I was scared to put this up so plz no flames there not nice D:

(Edit AN: Okay, so I have no life today so I'm going through this story and editing a few things, mainly grammar, so yeah. And sorry for taking so long to do anything with this but my computer crashed with all my files on 'He's Back' and they were probably some of my best writing and I've been trying to replicate some of it. So have no fear, I'm almost done with the latest chapter and I will be posting it soon. Thanks bai!)

Disclaimer: Just guess. Don't own anything.

This is after season 2 cause I haven't seen any of the recent episodes so yeah. Read on

George was walking home quickly from his job in town, the sky becoming dark. As he took out his keys while walking up the path to his, Mitchell's and Nina's new place, he heard a crash and shout from inside. Rushing to the door, George prayed Mitchell hadn't lost it again and attacked Nina. If he had George might just have to kill him, but then he would have to explain the body to Annie if she got back. _When. George, when she gets back. She's coming back._ he corrected himself mentally.

As he slid the key in the door, George heard a shout from the other side. _I could always run_. George considered the thought for a second then two then thought_ Nah_ and slowly slid the door open ready for anything…hopefully.

The entryway was empty but a table was broken next to the door. He heard a thump and growl from the other room and walked slowly in, holding his key up for protection._ Yeah that's it George, use a freaking key to attack someone, most likely a vampire. Yeah you won't die in ten seconds, _he thought as he rolled his eyes at his own stupidity. But he was already entering the other room and it was too late for second thoughts.

What he saw was…well, for lack of a better word, weird. A girl of about 17, by the looks of it, was fighting Mitchell. That wasn't really shocking, neither was the fact Nina, who was standing a little ways away from the duo destroying the room, loading a gun. What was really weird was that the girl had a dagger and a stake in her hands and George could see other weapons on her, he also knew their was probably a lot more on her person than the ones visible.

George took this moment to look her over, he knew that eventually Mitchell would either die, win or Nina would shoot the girls brains out. She was about average height, about the same as Nina, her hair was pitch black with the tips dyed a dark red, it was longish, if it was down it would probably be in between her shoulder blades. Pieces had fallen out of her ponytail, framing her face, meaning she probably had a layered cut. The young woman had on a black leather jacket with a blood red top and black jeans with commando boots. Around her torso was, shocker, a katana, although it was still in it's sheath, most of her upper body was covered by the jacket but he could tell there were more pointy objects, woopy.

After taking in her body, while she was still fighting Mitchell, taking no notice of Nina or him, George looked at her face. It looked hard, determined, and full of anger directed at…Mitchell. _Oh great another blast from Mitchell's past. How many people did he piss off this time? _George thought. Well at least it wasn't too recent, since the train incident Mitchell had stayed inside brooding over how to save Annie while George worked and Nina researched. George also noticed the girl wasn't a vampire, her eyes weren't black like Mitchells but they looked gray and dark, like a thunderstorm cloud.

George was ripped from his observations when there was a bang and the girl stopped and fell over onto the floor, halting her attacks. Nina had somehow hit her right on the spine, if she wasn't dead she was probably paralyzed, she seemed to be unconscious at the moment. Shockingly, Mitchell caught her and glared over at Nina after setting her down on the floor.

"What did you do that for? You didn't need to kill her." Mitchell spoke angrily.

Nina looked baffled and then pissed. So of course, going against his instincts telling him to run away, George intervened. "Mitchell, she was attacking you, and I'm pretty sure she had a good chance at winning. If anything you should be grateful that Nina shot her." he defended.

The vampire rolled his eyes trying to control his anger at, what he viewed as, being treated like he couldn't take care of himself. He was a about to come back with a snappy retort when there was a moan from the floor then some very fluent cursing. "Seriously? You dip wads had to shoot me in the spine? This is gonna take at least an hour to heal. God all I wanted was answers but nooooo I have to get a vampire who doesn't like to talk. God damn it." the girl said, not moving.

Mitchell looked down at her, eyes wide and George decided to point out the obvious, after all it was part of his job description right under acting like a bumbling idiot and werewolf. "Your supposed to be dead."

"Well does it look like it? No it doesn't." the girl said angrily.

Mitchell stepped over to her giving a menacing growl and she just stuck her tongue out at him, glaring back. This time Nina decided to be somewhat of a peace keeper. "What are you doing here? Answer truthfully or the next bullet goes in your head." Well he did say somewhat.

"I'm here for information," the girl said simply.

Before Nina could ask, more like threaten, anymore questions George piped up with an actually smart one. "Who the hell are you?"

"Amaria Rodriguez, but you can call me Maria. I would shake your hand but girly over there shot me." she said pointedly to Nina who just shrugged and cocked the gun. "and you are?" she asked. "Well I know who tall dark and brooding is but I don't know you two." The girl added curiously.

"I'm Nina and that's George." Nina spoke before George, defensively.

"Oh ho I here a hint of possessiveness." Maria sing songed which really got on their nerves. "But don't worry Nina I'm not interested, I'm bi and right now I'd rather date you than either of these bozos, and you freaking shot me! I bet you have to tie their shoes for them and everything."

Nina snorted and received glares from both men who then returned their glares to the girl on the floor.

"Enough chit chat, why are you here?" Mitchell asked menacingly.

"Oh mister vampys getting mad" she cooed mockingly but then became serious "I'm here for information on a certain vamp and to warn you."

"Wait if you're here to warn us why were you fighting Mitchell." George asked, thoroughly confused, glancing over at Mitchell.

"Hey he attacked me first! I just wanted answers and what do I get? A vamp depressed over losing his best friend looking for a fight. Sheesh he's so PMSy." She said rolling her eyes that were now a cloudy green. George could have sworn they were grey.

"Ok so warning first then answers." Nina piped up, stepping in.

"One second." Maria warned, then about a minute later sat up, moving her limbs and placing the bullet that had been in her neck on the table near the sofa, which she then sat down on. Ignoring George and Nina's stunned looks, Mitchell kept his scowl in place, the kid continued "Your in danger, Herrick is coming back and that's what I needed information on, where did you bury him?" she demanded.

"We don't really know, George ate him and what ever remained we left there. Why? What are you going to do?" Nina asked looking suspiciously at her.

"Shit I was hoping to stop this before it happened but I guess not, you guys'll just have to kill him again. I would say nice knowing you…..but it really wasn't." the girl said as she stood and started to head for the front door.

Nina sat on the couch burying her face in her hands as George sat beside her and wrapped an arm around her. Mitchell punched the wall in his anger, then when he was about to leave the room the front door flew open and Maria marched in muttering "Stupid handlers. Guess what? I get to help you defeat Herrick cause it's my _destiny_. Yay let's throw a freaking party." she said bitterly plopping on a chair and pouting. "Oh and I'm gonna help you get Annie back by the way." she said as an after thought.

Please be nice, review please and also ANNIES COMING BACK YAY Annie is like one of my favorite characters. Also I need to explain Maria this will focus around her kinda but only to get the four friends into strange angels and stuff so yeah.


	2. Chapter 2

All of a sudden, I was pinned to the chair and Mitchell was in my face, his eyes black. _Uh oh got big moody mad. _

"Don't lie." he spat out, I could feel the rage and depression emanating from him, it was so intense it was giving me a headache. I knew I was being a brat and I should be serious and not fool around with these people, they had lost a loved one after all. I remembered that right when I was about to make a flippant remark about getting a breath mint. _You would have acted the same way if you had been given the option to save Marco,_ that annoying voice in my head spoke. I hated hearing that voice because it sounded like him, reassuring, comforting, and full of love which was so rare to here in our family.

That's why I straightened up, looking Mitchell dead in the eye and calmly said "I can bring her back for you. You'll need her, she's powerful and she's the support beam, the reason you guys haven't given up yet."

The vamp backed up, looking at me guardedly when Nina asked "Are you talking about Annie?" when I nodded she jumped up and said fiercely. "You better not be lying."

I glanced over at George, who hadn't said a word the whole time. He looked up at me, and unlike the others his eyes were filled with pleading.

"I wouldn't lie about something like this." My hand automatically gripping my wrist. I could still feel it, even through the leather, burning, not as bad as the night it was branded into my skin, but still hot to the touch. It wasn't like my other one, black, a dragon twining up my left leg, that I had been born with, this one was burned on, seared into my very being, as my handler says, it completed me. _Woohoo I'm a corny song waiting to happen._

"So how are you going to bring her back?" Mitchell growled suspiciously but I could detect a bit of hope in his swirl of emotions.

"Simple, I die."

There was a short beat of silence and then "I'm game when do we start." Mitchell said making Nina glare at him then me, she opened her mouth to answer.

"Ok one, shut up Mitchell, two, we are not killing you without getting answers first and three, George go make some coffee. I can tell this will take a while." Nina said sternly. George jumped up, wanting to get away from the tension in the room. He ran to the kitchen and started to think about Annie coming back.

When the Rodriguez girl had looked at him and spoke he knew she was speaking the truth, just the way she said it with her now dark blue eyes filled with honesty, sincerity, understanding, and, most of all making him believe her even more, pain and sadness. _Wait dark blue eyes? Oh come on this is just getting annoying, she must be one of those people whose eyes change color with emotion or something. That must get annoying for anyone describing her, _he thought with a shrug.(If you only knew George :D)

After a few minutes the coffee was brewed and he had poured it in chipped old cups. Usually they would have tea, but ever since Annie had been taken no one had even touched the tea pot or Mitchell would give them a death glare that was….very persuasive. So George carried the four cups out carefully on a tray and then went back and got cream and sugar. While he was gone no one had moved or spoken, everyone was in their original spots. Mitchell standing near Maria's chair glaring at her as she seemed to stare off into space serenely with half lidded eyes making it so you couldn't see her eyes. George walked over to Nina who was still sitting on the sofa leaning forward. Elbows on her knees and hands clasped together, looking down. When George came over and placed everything down then sat she looked up at him with a tired, pleading look.

George cleared his throat and spoke "So…now that we have coffee why don't we get some answers Amaria." Thinking he had been somewhat stern and successful he stared at her as did the other two of his friends.

Maria sipped her coffee, scrunching her nose and pouring in a ton of sugar and cream, "For one thing, don't call me Amaria just Maria I have no idea where the A came from so just forget it's there, k? Secondly, before I can answer anything I need you all to promise to help me kill Herrick even after I bring Annie back, I know this sounds so corny, but the world depends on it." the young woman explained with an eye roll.

"He'll come back with a vengeance and no one will be safe when he puts his plans into action. I'm doing this because it's my job, my destiny, but you guys….you don't have to but I need you to, so I need your promise you'll help. There are people out there who are oblivious to all of this, they need protection and right now I'm recruiting you to be there new protectors." She spoke uncharacteristically seriously, placing her cup on the table.

"Why should we? We have nothing to do with this, all we want is Annie back?" Mitchell questioned.

Maria turned to him stonily with a glare that made Mitchell flinch, which he tried to hide unsuccessfully. "I thought you were a soldier, once a soldier always a soldier. Defending your people no matter what. Even if your not human anymore your still a soldier, a protector the only thing between a seven year old kid losing his parents, being fed on and killed by Herrick's minions. If your ok with standing by and watching that torture happen, then you're a sick excuse for a soldier and person in general." Venom was in her voice and her eyes were red. Maria seemed to realize that her anger was getting worse and she closed her eyes and breathed for a second then opened them with know brown calm ones.

"Sorry so do you agree or not?" she asked. Mitchell watched the girl with calculating eyes while Nina seemed to be lost in thought.

That's when George spoke up looking between Nina and Mitchell "You know that Annie would agree to this immediately and if she was here she would be yelling at you two to stop being self righteous assholes and agree. I'm in…for Annie." he said the last part to Maria who gave him a grateful look.

Mitchell growled "For Annie" and nodded looking at Nina hard.

"All right all right but if she's lying don't blame me." Nina relented, raising her hands in defeat. They all looked at Maria questioningly.

"Shoot." she said settling into the chair getting ready for a long questioning session.

"Ok one who the hell are you, who are you working for, and why did you come here?" Nina asked quickly.

"Hmm good questions. I already told you I'm Maria Rodriguez, I work for the Elite, and I came here to get answers from Mitchell and to warn you about Herrick, but Mister Broody over there decided to attack me and you decided to paralyze me. Good shot by the way."

"My turn, what's the Elite?" George asked next. Watching the young woman with a curious gaze.

"Ask Mitchy boy over there. he knows, all vamps do." she answered, gesturing at the vampire who looked down.

"Mitchell?" George asked nervously, making his friend look up at him. Mitchell sighed and sat down on another chair nearby. He rubbed at his face that had a good amount of stubble on it. "Mitchell?" his friend asked again.

The immortal gave a heavy sigh and began to speak. "The Elite are infamous in vampire circles, they are the guardians of the humans pretty much. If a vampire or other supernatural beings step out of line than they take care of it. They've been around for centuries and they're head quarters are in England somewhere, they came here when the first vampire settled here. It's a very secretive society only other sups know, not even the humans they protect know." Mitchell glanced at Maria and asked "Was that a good summary?"

"Yeah, I guess it's pretty good except you left out the part where we get awesome weapons." she said with an evil grin making George get a little nervous about her and sharp objects….or any objects for that matter.

"Now it's my turn, important question, how are you going to bring Annie back?" Nina's face hardened as she asked the question.

"I told you, I'm gonna die." Maria said with a "duh" in her voice and an eye roll which was getting on Nina's nerves, George could tell.

"Good, now what's the procedure?" Mitchell asked again, more impatient this time.

"I'll die, go in the Door, get her while you guys keep the door open so we can get out, simple." The young woman explained with a shrug.

"But if you die won't you be… well, dead? There's no telling if you'll come back as a ghost or not." George said, not really liking this plan.

The teen brushed his question off, saying, "Psh no, you saw me, I'll just heal, if you shoot me in the right spot I'll be dead for a good 30 minutes, that'll be enough time to get your friend." she said all this like they were talking about going on a day trip. Nina and George looked at her like she was insane while Mitchell's face took on a suspicious look.

"I've never heard of supernatural Elite. I know some are honorary members, but you seem to possess…interesting abilities. I know the Elite, they wouldn't trust one of us with something as big as taking down Herrick. Yet you keep saying it's your destiny, why?" Mitchell demanded, glaring.

Fidgeting, Maria glanced down then sighed and grumbled, then looked up at them. "Ugh I hate when I have to do this." Mitchell raised an eyebrow at which Maria glared and huffed. "It's not a big secret I just hate explaining it. It's so corny." she complained like a little kid.

George was about to say something but Nina shushed him and returned to looking expectantly at the girl.

"Stop that it's creepy." Maria whined, fidgeting.

"Tell us and we'll stop." Nina said like she was talking to a child.

Maria rolled her eyes "Whatever, I warned you it's corny and Mitchell already knows the story. Ok…I'm the Dragon and it's my duty and destiny to protect all humanity and beings living on this earth. Told you it was corny."

"The Dragon ? But that's only a legend the Elite made up to scare us sups." Mitchell spoke.

The dark haired girl shrugged, "Yeah well it's true. Hey I was just as shocked by this as you are when I found out , well except for the fact I also found out about sups too but that's beside the point. This'll prove it.. . hopefully, it apparently proved it to the Elite." she said, pulling her left pant leg up to about the top of her thigh. Her skin was naturally tan and you could see muscle rippling under her skin, she was probably in better shape then any of them.

But that wasn't what caught each of their eyes. What caught their eyes was the pitch black dragon twining up her leg. The tip of it's tail started at her ankle and it twisted around her leg stopping with the head on her outer leg mouth open on the top her thigh. A sharp intake of breath could be heard from Mitchell.

"I was born with it, the doctors couldn't tell what it was, and everyone presumed it was a tattoo once I got older, until the Elite found me. That's when they explained what it was." she spoke looking down on it almost affectionately.

"Wow I thought it was just a legend for new vamps to hear so they wouldn't cause trouble." Mitchell spoke in slight awe, making Maria smirk.

"Yeah only the really old one's know it's true but they weren't afraid until I came along. They didn't think it would ever happen. So yeah, I'm a modern day Buffy." The girl said, rolling her pants back down.

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Nina demanded getting impatient at being left out of the conversation.

"Should I explain?" Mitchell asked. George was confused to see that he was now showing Maria a little more respect than before._ What universe have I walked into?_, George wondered.

"Go ahead, I hate explaining it." Maria remarked pulling a face.

"Ok I know I'm repeating Nina, but what the hell are you guys talking about?" George exclaimed ,also starting to get annoyed at being out of the loop.

Mitchell looked at them and started to speak "There's an old legend that every new vampire is told. I originally thought it was that, just a legend. But what Maria has shown me is making me doubt that, even Herrick said it was only a legend."

"Get on with it already." Maria grumbled as Nina nodded in agreement, making Mitchell sigh in exasperation.

"Ok ok. Well the legend says that there are two ancient beings that were locked away for years and were only to be released when the world needed them most. Them being born is a rarely known of sign of the apocalypse and they are born to stop it. The last time they were released was long ago, even before vampires existed. When demons freely roamed the earth. Man was still new and the demons decided to take advantage and rule the world and plunge it into destruction and chaos for eternity. The two were born, they were the Dragon and the Phoenix, like yin and yang."

"The Dragon was full of fight, a warrior, the Dragon protected the Phoenix. It was a natural born fighter, could heal and could see attacks before they happened, making it deadly in battle. While the Dragon was a creature of war and the physical The Phoenix was it's opposite. The Phoenix was of the mind and heart but was still powerful beyond belief. When the Demons tried to take over the world the two stopped them." The room was silent, everyone engulfed in the story….except Maria who was picking at her nails.

"There was a great battle between the Demons and the two beings. By the end, the Phoenix and Dragon won, and to create more balance with the world combined demon and human blood creating the first vampire, werewolf and other supernatural's. While creating these they also made the Elite, endowing them with amazing senses and each with a different gift to protect the humans. After that the two disappeared and that's how the legends started, passed down through the centuries from supernatural to supernatural."

There was a moment of silence until George said "Wow I would say it's a ton of bullshit but…well weirder things have happened."

Then Nina asked a question that Maria wished she hadn't "So if you're this amazing mystical Dragon being, who's your Phoenix?"

Maria felt pain flash across her face but hid it, quickly becoming bland and answering the question. "He was my older brother. He's dead."

Mitchell looked shocked, saying "But that's impossible, the Dragon is supposed to have a Phoenix, there supposed to protect the Phoenix."

The young woman turned to Mitchell, expression like ice. In short, Maria looked pissed. _Oh I should not've gone there, _Mitchell thought as he watched her eyes narrow and turn a dark shade of red. "What did you say? I was supposed to protect him? I was fulking ten you ass." she started darkly.

"What was I supposed to do, jump in front of the bullet at 10 pm three blocks away? Hmm? No? Yeah he's dead and I know it was my job to protect him but I didn't even know about this shit. I don't need a vamp who massacred hundreds of innocent people to make me feel bad about myself because he's pissed that he wasn't strong enough to rescue his friend from going through the fulking Door." she said this all in a deadly quiet voice that had old power in it, sending shivers down Nina and George's backs.

At her words Mitchell felt anger well up in him as he looked back at her, ready to send back a hurtful retort, he looked at her eyes. The vampire was deflated at the look there, under all that anger was a familiar pain, sadness and a glimpse of the little broken girl she really was inside. When he looked in her eyes he saw the similarity between them. They had both lost people they loved and had a hard life that never seemed to end and sometimes they wanted it to. Just kill themselves and let the darkness surround them and let the pain end. But then they would look around and there would be something that needed to be done and they would do it because they had to. They didn't know why they had to, they just did.

So when he spoke Mitchell thought about the words before speaking them. "I'm sorry, I was wrong to blame you, it wasn't your fault. You just have to understand what your saying. Your offering to bring someone I love back and saying you're an almighty deity that has only been heard of from legends. Then you say your not complete that your other half is gone. It's just…." he trailed off.

"Frustrating?" Maria finished, calming down.

At Mitchell's nod she continued "Yeah, I know. But you guys didn't let me finish." They all looked at her alarmed.

"What else is there?" George wondered, not sure if he could handle anymore.

"Hey you guys wanted answers I'm just giving them. Do wanna know or not?" Maria demanded.

"Yes of course go on please." Nina spoke up wanting get this new piece of information out.

"Ok so when Marco, my brother, died something happened." the young woman started, staring at the wall.

"It was a school night and I was sleeping when…it happened. I had been dreaming then all of a sudden I was standing on the street with Marco who was walking home when someone drove by and shoot at him. We lived in a not so nice neighborhood. We were poor and Marco did anything he could for money and I guess he pissed someone off or something. I tried to warn him but he couldn't see or hear me. He was shot and there was blood everywhere, all over the pavement. That's when I woke up, I'd thought it was just another vision, I'd been having them since I was little, so I ran to his room but he wasn't there."

"I tried to wake up my mom but she was out cold from drinking so much, she had been doing a lot more shifts, and her boyfriend wasn't home yet. So I slipped on my lucky converse and ran the three blocks in my dream and found my brother lying there on the pavement, blood everywhere. Marco was barely alive so I started screaming for help but he quieted me and told me to take care of myself . He died five minutes later but right when he was dieing something happened. Something passed through him into me and I got this on my arm" she explained as she slipped her leather jacket off, revealing a harness full of daggers and shruikan.

"Marco was born with a huge one on his back. My mom chalked his and mine markings up to having had a couple beers when she was pregnant . But this one seemed to be burned on, it's one of the few none self inflicted scars that didn't heal." Maria gestured to her right arm which had what looked like a phoenix. It's tail wrapped around her wrist and then went straight up her arm, stopping at her bicep with its wings slightly open and beak open as if cawing. It was definitely burned on there, it was a pinkish red and a little shiny like most scars.

No one commented on her other arm. On her left arm there were neatly made lined on her forearm and two long ones on her bicep. Nina noticed that on the left side of her chest, almost covered by the red tank top, were two scars going diagonal. Nina could guess that if it wasn't covered there would be a X shaped scar over her heart. She filed this away in her brain to talk to the kid about later…if this plan of hers worked.

"The Elite elders said the Phoenix has entered me, being reborn from the ashes." Maria looked troubled, her eyes now a cloudy grey. "Well that's all your questions right? Cause I really want to get this Annie girl back and we can't do that if you guys keep asking questions."

Disclaimer: Only own Maria nothing else.

So I'm gonna put up all my other chapters and get this over with. Like ripping off a band aid.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Don't own anything sigh

All three nodded forgetting everything else except getting Annie back. They got up but then didn't really know what to do so they looked at Maria who rolled her eyes and got up. "Unless you want bloody furniture you might want to move it to the walls" she said like it was obvious which everyone noticed was grating on Mitchell's nerves as his jaw clenched. But they all moved the sofa and chairs to the walls and took the rug away so all that was left was a wooden floor.

"Ok lets get started." Maria said, picking up Nina's gun and handing it to Mitchell. "Now you saw where Nina shot me?" At his nod she continued. "Now I need you to hit a couple inches further up, that will kill me for 10 to maybe 20 minutes or so then I'm gonna need you guys to keep the door open ok? Got that? Ok Mitchell you can shoot me now."

"Gladly" the vampire said with an evil grin pointing the gun and shooting right where he was told to, you learned a few things when your immortal. Maria fell to the floor blood going everywhere. Then a second later a ghost her stepped out of her body and a Door appeared in front of her.

"Keep the door open." she said as she walked through. Mitchell and George pounced on the door using all their strength to keep it open. Nina came over and pushed from the other side, being careful not to step in.

After around five minutes of this Nina saw Maria running down the hall with a frightened looking Annie. There were shadows right on their heels and Nina shouted to the guys, "Get ready guys. 3.…2.…1 Now !"

The Door slammed closed right as the pair ran through, trapping the shadows in there. Maria looked over at Annie.

"Never speak of this again, agreed?" Maria asked as she plopped down on a sofa shoved against the wall.

Annie nodded her head vigorously still standing. The two looked at each other then Annie started laughing and eventually ended up in hysterics on the floor near Maria's healing body. "Hey watch the body I just got those streaks, I just got the last bit of vamp blood out of the jacket. It's really hard to get out might I add." Maria huffed indignantly.

Annie paused then looked at the body then Maria then Maria's body again and started all over again.

She only stopped when George scooped her up in a hug and then Mitchell did, whispering words of "I missed you" to each other. Then Annie turned to Nina and hugged her then turned to Maria saying to the boys "What did you guys miss having a ghost so much you decided to make a new one?" glancing down at the body.

"Again I say watch out for the body." Maria said looking alarmed " Nina would you be oh so kind and move my body away from the herd?" she asked with puppy dog eyes that made Nina laugh as she took her body and moved it near her on the sofa.

"We would never replace you Annie" Mitchell said indignantly with his arm around her waist.

"Then why is there a dead girl on the floor? And who the hell are you?" Annie said looking at Maria suspiciously.

"Urgh here we go again." Maria groaned putting her face in her hands. She looked up at Annie then stood up offering her hand. "Maria Rodriguez Dragon/ Phoenix extraordinaire. Nice to meet you Annie."

"OOOOOk." Annie said chuckling and shaking the offered hand. Looking at the two men beside her she said "I like her, can we keep her?" giving the two puppy dog eyes and slipping from under their arms and slipping an arm around Maria.

"Ok double puppy dog eyes on the count of three. 1...2...3." and both looked at the men with big pleading eyes and Annie said "Pleeeeeeeeease I just got back from the deadish and she told me how you guys owe her."

"She's right we do owe her, you guys promised to help with Herrick once she got Annie back." Nina said looking amused.

"Their right we did promise, and Herrick needs to be brought down before something bad happens." George said being the voice of reason ,and he couldn't refuse Annie anything, she was like a little sister to him.

Mitchell grunted then relented and said "Your right Herrick needs to be removed….permanently."

"Ooooo ominous" Annie said.

"Oops time to go, everybody back up." Maria said untangling herself from Annie, and stepped over to her body. She laid down so she was in her body. A minute later her eyes fluttered open and she groaned.

"That always gives me a headache." she said sitting up and massaging her head.

"You've done that before?" Annie asked amazed and a little envious.

"Yeah a few times." she said making her face blank. She got up and said "Ok know to start on Herrick."

As the guys started to talk and discuss stuff with Maria, Annie was getting a crash course on Maria and what had happened since she had been gone by Nina. "If she can heal why are those scars on her arm still there?" Annie asked confused, Nina just shrugged and continued.

Later everyone had decided it was a good time to go to bed and that Maria should sleep on the couch. Annie was the only one up because, as a ghost, she didn't need sleep, besides Maria was sitting on the couch with her eyes closed shut.

"Whatcha doin?" Annie asked plopping down next to her, they had been almost immediate friends after Maria saved Annie from the Door.

"Looking into the future." she said simply.

"Cool cool." Annie paused.

"Just ask whatever question is bugging you."

"How'd you…?"

Maria tapped her head and said "Telepathic and Empathic from the Phoenix. What's your question?" She asked opening her green eyes.

"Well about those scars …I just I mean ….Why didn't they heal?" Annie asked timidly, she was concerned for her new friends well being.

"Because they were self inflicted, self inflicted wounds don't heal if I don't want them to."

"But why?" Annie couldn't rap her minds around hurting yourself for any reason.

"Why would I do this?" at Annie's nod she continued "Because these are reminders."

"Reminders of what?"

"The ones I couldn't save." she gestured at her left forearm "Homicides, suicides ,shootings. Stuff I could have stopped but didn't. I had visions since I was little these are all the ones I saw and couldn't do anything about. The one on my bicep are deeper because they were for the twin towers back home in the U.S." she explained simply.

"What about the ones there?" Annie said gesturing to her chest.

Maria pulled her shirt slightly down showing the X right on top of where her heart was. "Those are for my brother and dad. I saw a vision of my dad dieing in a attack on a humvee in Iraq when I was little, I warned him but he didn't listen and …we'll he's gone. That's when Mom's boyfriend came into the picture. He'd get drunk a lot and hurt me and Marco, Marco always made sure I got the least ,even though I could heal, I was still the youngest. Probably ruined his childhood." Maria said chuckling darkly at the irony.

"Why didn't you go to the authorities?" Annie asked seriously. After what she had been through with her ex fiancée she hated anyone who thought it was ok to hurt someone weaker than you. If she ever met Maria's Mom's boyfriend he was so going to regret what he did.

"Nah it was common for stuff like that to happen where I lived, also it wasn't that big a deal. I would heal so there would be no evidence and Marco couldn't say anything because people would start looking more closely. Marco did what he had to do for us to have a roof over our head and food to eat, usually it wasn't legal, if cops started snooping around… well let's just say it wouldn't be good." Maria said realistically.

"That sucks" Annie said slouching into the couch, then she perked up. "Wait did you say Marco? Like Marco Rodriguez?"

"Yeah" Maria said slowly, confused.

" I think I met him." Annie said excitedly ignoring Maria's now rigidness. "He was one of the guys that guarded us or something, he was one of the few nice ones. He would say hi and talk to the younger kids sometimes so they wouldn't be scared."

"That sounds like Marco, always the big brother." Maria whispered with tears in her eyes.

"Maybe you can bring him back." Annie said almost bouncing on the couch with happiness.

Maria eyes widened and then turned pitch black, even the whites were gone.

"Maria Maria Maria!" Annie shouted shaking her. Then she was back out of the trance and blinking her eyes, then she hung her head sadness evident on her face.

"Sorry Annie I was searching for a future with him but he's in none of them. If he wanted to come back I would have found him before or he would have found me." Maria said sadly tears slipping down her face. Annie put an arm around her new friend as Maria cried silent tears. Nina at one point came in for water saw the scene and got ice cream and sat down. They talked the whole night about Marco and they're families. From that moment on the three girls were bonded.

REVIEW PLEASE


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